Abstract: The present invention relates to a conditionally switchable nanostructure configured to assume a first configuration and a second configuration, wherein the nanostructure comprises a binding site that is configured to bind to a binding target, and wherein the accessibility of the binding site for the binding target in the second configuration is different to the accessibility of the binding site for the binding target in the first configuration. Further, the nanostructure is configured to assume the first configuration when none of the coupling sites of the coupling site set is coupled to its respective coupling target and to assume the second configuration when each coupling site of a subset of the coupling site set is coupled to its respective coupling target, wherein the subset comprises at least one coupling site. Additionally, the present technology also relates to a system comprising the nanostructure as well as a method utilizing the nanostructure or the system.

Abstract: A method compresses a digital continuous tone image of pixels situated on scan lines. The method includes the steps of, for a current pixel to be encoded, said current pixel having an actual pixel value, predicting a predicted pixel value based on pixel values of at least one previously processed pixel from the same image, using a fixed rule, determining a difference parameter based on a difference value of said predicted pixel value and the actual pixel value of said current pixel to be encoded, and inspecting the difference parameter for existence of an uninterrupted series of highest order bits having a value equal to zero, removing at least part of said highest order zero bits, and, if a number of bits within predetermined limits remains, generating a compression code having a predetermined fixed length, said code indicating the number of remaining bits.

Abstract: A method compresses a digital continuous tone image of pixels situated on scan lines. The method includes the steps of, for a current pixel to be encoded, said current pixel having an actual pixel value, predicting a predicted pixel value based on pixel values of at least one previously processed pixel from the same image, using a fixed rule, determining a difference parameter based on a difference value of said predicted pixel value and the actual pixel value of said current pixel to be encoded, and inspecting the difference parameter for existence of an uninterrupted series of highest order bits having a value equal to zero, removing at least part of said highest order zero bits, and, if a number of bits within predetermined limits remains, generating a compression code having a predetermined fixed length, said code indicating the number of remaining bits.